Reports of the Business Card's Death Are Greatly Exaggerated, or why bzCards != biz cards

Caught the article "rmbr launches mobile app to get rid of business cards" on VentureBeat which covers the announcement rmbrME, the new electronic connection tool from rmbr. (note: the rmbr.com site, which launched as a photo organizing site, currently redirects to rmbrme.com) The general idea is to trade vCards over email, IM, SMS, etc. and get rid of those pesky piles of pasteboard. If the ease of use isn't incentive enough, they're mixing in the funware idea via contests and leaderboards.

You may have guessed by now, but I think they've got the beginnings of a good idea and a poor implementation. I'm particularly amused by rmbr founder Gabe Zichermann's assertion that the business card's time has come and gone. Here's why I think he's wrong:

1. Business Cards Are Infinitely Customizable: I can quickly extend or personalize the information provided by my business card*. I can also correct bad information on the spot*, e.g. my title's changed, or I have a new phone number. And the only device required is any writing instrument.
2. Business Cards Don't Require Information Exchange: I don't have to ask you to give me contact info in order to give you my contact info. This preserves a level of anonymity which should not be undervalued. I wouldn't give contact info to everyone I've accepted a business card from; I've later chosen to contact some of those people.
3. Business Cards Are Trivial To Distribute: I can hand you a business card in just a few seconds, less if I'm already handing them out. I can place a stack of business cards in a tray on a counter to be taken by those interested without having to make any contact at all. I can drop them in the fishbowl of an excellent bakery and cafe in Wilson, NC in hopes of winning some goodies for the next time I'm there. I can hand it to someone who doesn't have a device. These examples all demonstrate the business card's continued practical utility.
4. Business Cards Are Static: They provide a clearly limited, time-sensitive set of information about me. If I change jobs, companies, phone numbers, email, or what-have-you, your data isn't current anymore. Effectively, the data ages and, in doing so, provides me some additional privacy with regards to those people with whom I've not formed a more permanent relationship than the original business card exchange (which, if I have, I likely want to provide a more dynamic link to my contact info). This is also true of a vCard exchange, but unclear with regards to bzCards. In my opinion, the lack of an analog to this aging process is a flaw in social networks which is becoming evident; it's currently all or nothing.

That said, I applaud the attempt toward a more dynamic contacts list and easier connections. There are some pieces still missing that, imho, are being overlooked by folks headed in that direction, but they'll come soon enough. And I'm utterly underwhelmed by the idea of competitions to send out the most business cards. It's quality, folks, not quantity.

* The business card with hand-written phone number comes from a 1997 Mother Jones article. Ironically, that lovely corrected business card image is from the "Why Use It?" page of MyDetails.biz, another digital business card replacement.

 

Comments

[Gabe]

Jim:

Thanks for the analysis of rmbrME and paper business cards on your blog. I'm *super* excited that you think the idea is interesting - and I'd love to share more with you about what we're planning to do. Getting your feedback would be very valuable, indeed.

Meanwhile, I just want to say that I am going to stick to my guns about the anachronism of business cards - though I also don't expect them to go away anytime soon.

After all, checks are infinitely customizable (american flags? teddy bears?), require no infrastructure investment on the part of the recipient (other than knowing their name and having a bank), they are trivial to distribute (tear, toss, repeat) and they expire (180 days in most places, immediately if you accept a bad one). ;)

Get in touch!

-G

[Jim Meyer]

@Gabe: You're very kind to say so. And, if you plan to leave a stack of checks laying about, please let me know. Preferrably signed. I promise to jot down the contact info on it. =]